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No. 654,|l9. Y Patented .Iuly I7, |900.

J. A. PURTER. ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed June 12, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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JAMES A. PORTER, OF NEVADA,- IOWA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

` SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,119, dated July 17, 1900. Application led June 12, 1899. lSerial No. 720,168. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. PORTER, a citizen 0f the United States, residing at Nevada, in the cou ntyof Story and State of Iowa,

ily reversed and that may-When the engine is in any position be started by manipulation of a steam-valve.

A further object is to provide means where-1 by the expansion of the steam may be utilized to its maximum capacity in drivingthe rotary piston.

' A further object is to provide means Whereby the engine may be readily and quickly re,

versed Without interfering with the operation of the automatic cut-olf and my object is, further, to provide means whereby steam is admitted to the steam-chamber gradually and when the pistons have passed the point where the eifective stroke ends the steam will be exhausted in such a manner that there can be no back pressure upon the piston.

My invention consists in certain details in vthe construction, arrangement, and combination of the various features of the device.

whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth',y

pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which--l` Figure 1 shows a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the indicated linev 1 1 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view in a right-angled position relative to Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference-numeral 10 is used to indicate the cylinder proper, havin g the heads 11, bolted thereto. The shaft 12 is mounted in the heads eccentrically, and formed on the inner' cylinder a distance of about one-third of the circumference ofthe same on .both sides.

These passages 15 oneach sideof the engine communicate withthe chambers 14, and I have provided a number of openings 16, leading from the steam-passages'l to they interior of the cylinder at suitable distances vof separation, and 17 indicatessmall openings leading from the sai'd'passagel to the interior of the cylinder, near the upper end thereof. These are for the purpose of pernlitting the steam to'exhaust, so that there can be no back pressure.

The reference-numerals 18 indicate valves placed in the openings 14 and having their stems 19 extended to opposite sides of the engine. These valves are arranged to direct the steam from the infioW-pipe at their tops to discharge through either one of the passages 15, and they are connected in such a manner that when one valve is placed in position to conduct-the steam to the passage on one side the opposite valve willpermit the steam to.

exhaust by means of the cranks20,xed to the valve-stems and having the links connectedtherewith andv also pivotally connected With a lever 21, which lever is pivoted at its central portion to a support 22, fixed to the` engine-casing near its central portion. Hence wher'one valve is turned in one directionthe other valve will turn inthe opposite direction by the manipulation of a single lever.l

The reference-numeral 23 is used to indicate a steam-chest on top of the engine and steam-chest 23 a slide-valve 26 is mounted to serve as a cut-olf between the induction-pipe 27 and the passage 24. A rod 28 is connected with this cut-off valve 26 and extends outwardly through a packing 29 to connect with the lever 30, which lever in turn is fulcrumed near its central portion by a bracket 31 and is provided With an antifriction-roller 32 at its lower end.

33 indicates a wheel fixed to the shaft 12 and having formed thereon a cam-groove 34,

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when the steam-chamber of the engine has been in position to receive steam during a certain part of its stroke the valve 26 will be shut, so that the expansive force of the steam Will be utilized throughout the remainder of the stroke.

I have provided means kwhereby in the event that the engine is stopped when the valve 26 is in its closed position steam may be admitted to the interior of the steamchamber, so that the engine may be started by means of the steam-pressure alone. This means comprises a pipe 35, communicating at one end with the inflow-pipe 27 and at its other end with the steam-chamber 24, below the valve26, and a cut-od valve 36 is placed in this pipe 35. Hence When it is desired to start the engine under the above conditions all that is necessary is to open the valve 26 and then close the same as soon as the engine has started to rotate and obtained a suiiicient momentum.

The reference-numeral 37 is used to indicate a hub fixed concentrically to the shaft 12 and havingtherein a number of radial grooves 38.. In these grooves 38 the ilat pistons 39 are slidingly mounted, and these pistons 39 are provided with antifriction-rollers 40 to project outwardly therefrom and to enter the grooves 13. By this means the pistons 39 are constantly held to their outer limits, or, rather, in direct contact with the interior of the cylinder at all times, and said pistons are located at such a distance of separation that the steam will not begin to exhaust through one of the openings 16 until the next adjoining piston has passed the opening 16 on the opposite side.

In practical operation it is obvious that the engine may be readily and quickly reversed, the supply of steam be automatically cutoiso that the. expansive forcemay act during a part of its effective stroke, and the engine started when the valve 26 is closed; and it is obvious, further, that a certain amount of steam W'ould be admitted into the steam-chamber during the time that the piston 39 passes each of the openings 16, and, furthermore, that when the piston has passed the first opening 16 of the exhaust side the steam Will be exhausted gradually from the steam-chamber and any steam that might be retained in the chamber will be exhausted through the small openings "17, so that no back pressure may be applied ing steam from the cylinder at proper points,

two valves mounted in the cylinder, the one connected with the inflow and the other with the exhaust pipe, means for operating the said valves in unison to move in opposite directions to reverse the engine, aslide-valve connected with the engine above the aforesaid valves, a pipe leading from the inductionpipe to the engine at a point above the said slide-valve and means for automatically operating it to cnt off at a certain predetermined point, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

2. A rotary engine, comprising in combination, a cylinder 10, cylinder-heads 11 fixed thereto and having grooves 13 therein, a shaft 12 eccentrically mounted Within the engine and having a Wheel 33 fixed theretoprovided with a cam-groove 34, aI hub 37 xed to the said shaft, a series of pistons 39 slidingly mounted in saidY hub, rollers /10 connected Withthe .said pistons to operate Within the grooves 13, steam-passages 15 and openings 16 and 17 leading therefrom to the interior of the cylinder, vvalves 18 at the top of the engine, and means for reversing same, a steam-chainber at the top of the engine, an inflow-pipe leading thereto, a slide-valve mounted in said steam-chamber, a stem connected With said slide-valve, and a lever pivoted to a suitable support and connected at' one end to the said stem and having its other end inserted in the cam-groove 34, a pipe connected with the inflow-pipe and extending around the said valve, a cut-off valve in said pipe and an exhaustpipe 25, all arranged and combined snhstantially in the manner set forth and for the purposes stated.

JAMES A. PORTER.

Witnesses:

W. J. SANKEY, THoMAs G. ORWIG. 

